Protection plate for ice cream cainets and the like



H. D. GEYER April 3, 1934.

PROTECTION PLATE FOR ICE CREAM CABINETS AND THE LIKE Filed 0011- 28, 1932 grwmm ,wam 14 W L i Patented Apr. 3, 1934 PATENT OFFICE PROTECTION PLATE FOR ICE CREAM CABINETS AND THE LIKE Harvey D. Geyer, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The l Inland Manufacturing Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application October as, 1932, Serial No. 639,986

4 Claims. (01. 45-137) This invention relates to sealed protection plates for the lower side walls of an ice cream cabinet or the like.

' An object of the invention is to provide a kick plate or protection plate of molded soft rubber which is adapted to be fixed upon the lower side walls of an ice cream or refrigerator cabinet or the like. Ordinarily such cabinets have finished surfaces extending to or almost to the floor and hence are subject to being easily marred by the feet stepping thereagainst, and by water and strong washing solutions when the floor is being washed. The protection plate of this invention is an economical and highly efiicient means of protection against such marring and provides a decorative appearance to the cabinet or the like upon which it is applied.

Another object is to provide a protection plate which automatically seals the crack between the bottom of the cabinet and the floor and so pre-, vents water entering thereunder when the floor is washed and remaining damp for long periods thereby causing uncleanliness and early rotting of the floor or cabinet bottom.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

r Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ice cream cabinet having the protection plate of this invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a face elevation of a portion of the protection plate, and shows in dotted lines the reinforcing metal plate therein.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 2 but shows a form of protection plate having raised corners, such as shown at the end of the cabinet of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and shows the construction at the screw hole used for fixing the plate to the cabinet wall.

Fig. 6 is a face elevation of a joint section of the protectiongplate which isused to cover the joint between two straight sections of protection plate.

. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8--8 of Fig. 6.

. Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Numeral 10 designates an ice cream cabinet having side walls 11 and end walls 12 extending tothe floor. Two straight sections 15 of the protection plate of this invention are applied to the lower portion of the side wall 11 of the cabinet, and the joint section 16 is interposed between the ends of the sections 15 and makes a neat water-sealed joint at this juncture.

Details of the protection plate 15 are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A metal reinforcing strip 20, preferably steel, has a layer 21 of soft rubber vulcanized thereto, the rubber being preferably molded with a decorative design on its outer face as such as the vertical recesses 22, giving a panel effect appearance. The soft rubber extends around the upper and lower edges of the steel strip 20 and forms abutment pads 23 and 24 respectively, on the back face thereof which are -m adapted. to contact directly upon the wall to which the plate 15 is fixed by suitable clamping screws. At the upper edge of plate 15 the rubber is molded to an inwardly turned sharp edge 25 (as clearly shown in Fig. 3) which is adapted to be flexed outwardly by contact with the wall 11 when the plate is clamped tightly thereupon and so provide a very snug seal between the upper edge of the protection plate and the wall 11. This seal prevents possibility of water or dirt go entering the crack at this joint.

Likewise at the bottom edge of plate 15 the rubber is molded with a foot 26 having an outwardly and downwardly turned sharp edge 2'1 which is adapted to be flexed upwardly by con- 35 tact with the floor upon which the cabinet sets by gravity and so provide a snug fit and waterseal between the floor and the bottom of the cabinet. This seal prevents water or dirt enter- 7 ing the space between the floor and cabinet and provides sanitation. Each panel 15 is shown as having three spaced screw holes 28. A small soft rubber abutment pad 29 is molded on the back of the steel plate 20 surrounding holes 28 (see Fig. 5) and this pad 29 is integrally connected to the rubber layer 21 through the three small holes 30 in the steel plate 20.. The holes 30 obviously facilitate the molding of the rubber in the die since suflicient rubber will flow through the three holes 30 to fill the die cavity to form the pad 29 during molding. Each screw hole 28 preferably has a molded space 31 for the heads .of screws 32 to contact directly upon the steel plate 20 when the panel is clamped to the cabinet.

The two panels 15 are first fixed to the cabinet by screws 32 and then the joint section 16 is inserted between the ends of panels 15 and attached thereto by the single screw 32. This short joint section 16 is made like the panels 15 with the ex eption that the vertical edges thereof are prono vided with short raised flanges 40 so designed as to neatly overlap and snugly engage the vertical edges of the two adjacent ends of the panels 15 to provide a substantially water-tight joint. The joint sections 16 are provided with the sharp flexible edges 25 and 2'? which provide water seals at the upper and lower edges thereof in the same manner as panels 15.

The end panel 50, shown at the end of the cabinet in Fig. 1 and in detail in Fig. 4, is constructed in the same way as panels 15 except that it is designed to fit around a door or other opening in the cabinet, for instance the air circulation louvres shown in Fig. 1. In ice cream cabinets which include the compressor unit in a compartment in the same box such doors and openings are necessary, and usually such openings extend quite close to the floor. The cut-away panel 50 provides for such cabinet designs and permits a uniform design of paneling to be used around the entire bottom of the cabinet.

-At the corners the panels 15 and 50 are of the same height and they are preferably made with mitered corners which fit neatly together as shown in Fig. 1.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

Whatis claimed is as follows:

1. As 'an article of manufacture, a watersealing protection plate adapted to be fixed to the lower side walls of a cabinet or the like, comprising a metal plate having a thin cover layer pof soft rubber vulcanized thereto on the outer side thereof, said soft rubber cover being molded with a flexible downwardly and outwardly projecting lip at the lower edge of said metal plate,

said lip being adapted to flex and tightly engage the floor whenever the cabinet is moved whereby to prevent water entering between the floor and the bottom of the cabinet.

2. As an article of manufacture, a watersealing protection plate adapted to be fixed to the lower side walls of a cabinet or the like, com prising a metal plate having an outer thin cover layer of soft rubber vulcanized thereto, said soft rubber cover being molded with a flexible outwardly and downwardly projecting lip at the bottom edge of said metal plate, said downwardly projecting lip being adapted to first engage the floor and be flexed upwardly thereby whenever the cabinet is moved whereby to provide a waterseal joint with the floor.

3. As an article of manufacture, a watersealing protection plate adapted to be clamped to the lower side walls of a cabinet or the like, comprising a metal plate having a thin cover layer of soft rubber vulcanized thereto on only the outer side thereof, said soft rubber cover being molded with a flexible inwardly projecting lip projecting beyond the upper edge of said metal plate, said lip being adapted to flex and 100 tightly engage the wall to which the protection plate is clamped and provide a tight joint therewith.

4. As an article of manufacture, a watersealing protection plate adapted to be fixed to 105 the lower side walls of a cabinet or the like, comprising a metal plate having a thin cover layer of soft rubber vulcanized thereto on only the outer side thereof, said soft rubber cover being molded with a flexible inwardly turn lip engaging the 110 cabinet wall beyond the edges of the metal plate to seal the joints therebetween.

HARVEY D. GEYER. 

